In order to understand Wikipedia as a resource you should first understand how to use Wikipedia in the general sense. Here is a link to a basic video tutorial on using Wikipedia. LINK
When you are using Wikipedia as a resource, be sure to use it as a general overview and not as your only resource.
Look at the Discussion tab to see if the article you’re reading is part of a WikiProject, meaning that a group of people who care about the subject area are working in concert on its content. They may not be experts on the subject, but signing onto a WikiProject implies a writer has more than a casual interest in it.
When you use a Wikipedia entry, review the References, Footnotes and Bibliography at the bottom of each entry for cited sources that may be useful in your research.
This is where “Wikipedians” cite websites and other sources they use in articles. Wikipedia articles may have a combination of references, footnotes and a bibliography, just one, or none at all.
Much of what you find on Wikipedia is factual, however you cannot guarantee all of it. By following these simple guidelines, Wikipedia can be a great resource.
Wikipedia is an open content online encyclopedia that is created through a collaborative effort by people referred to as Wikipedians and is completely free for users. Wikipedia is a wiki with an abundant amount of information that can be used to gain knowledge, understanding, or help in research. There are some major advantages in using Wikipedia as a source.
Wikipedia is extremely easy to use and navigate
Information is instantaneous
Wikipedia's pages are updated on a regular basis by many people
The information can be accessed from any part of the world at any time
Wikipedia keeps track of every single edit made to each page which allows for information to be monitored and corrected all of the time.
Wikipedians monitory pages all of the time to make sure information is reliable and credible.
Wikipedia offers more than just an encyclopedia and these can also be used as resources:
Wiktionary: dictionary and thesaurus
Wikibooks: free textbooks and other books
Wikiquote: collection of quotes
Wikisource: collection of free source documents
Wikiversity: collection of free learning materials
Simple English Wikipedia is a version of Wikipedia that contains articles that use simple English words and grammar. Just like regular Wikipedia, anyone can contribute to the articles and it is free to use. Writers of content are asked to use basic vocabulary and shorter sentences to make things less complex. Despite these alterations, it does not mean that Simple English Wikipedia articles have to be short. They can have a lot of added detail, just in simple language.
Simple English Wikipedia is a great resource for children or learners of the English language. Elementary school teachers can guide their students towards this resource so that they can get a lot of quality information that is easily understandable and on their level. This will also help train them how to navigate regular Wikipedia in the future when they are older. Teachers of students who are learning English can use this as a resource to help their students learn English. Having them read articles from this section of Wikipedia can expose them to the English language in its most simple form, thus helping build their fluency.
The external links section of a Wikipedia page can be confusing, misleading, and misinterpreted. One misconception on the external links section is that it is considered a reference page. External links are not references or works cited of the article. There is a separate section for cited text and information, for example “references” or “notes”. Another mistake found with external links is that they should not be found in the body of the current article. External links are strictly created to provide additional information that can relate to the main topic. Below are some tips on what type of external links you should have.
What to Link
There are several things that should be considered when adding an external link.
Is the site content accessible to the reader
Is the site content proper in the context of the article (useful, tasteful, informative, factual, etc.)?
Is the link functioning and likely to remain functional?
Each link should be considered on its merits, using the following guidelines. As the number of external links in an article grows longer, assessment should become stricter. When in doubt about the appropriateness of adding new links, make a suggestion on the article's talkpage and discuss with other editors.
What can normally be linked?
Wikipedia articles about any organization, person, website, or other entity should link to the subject's official site, if any.
An article about a book, a musical score, or some other media should link to a site hosting a legally distributed copy of the work.
Sites that contain neutral and accurate material that is relevant to an encyclopedic understanding of the subject and cannot be integrated into the Wikipedia article due to copyright issues,amount of detail (such as professional athlete statistics, movie or television credits, interview transcripts, or online textbooks), or other reasons.
Wikipedia as a Resource
Wikipedia is a great resource to use in any classroom of any grade level.Table of Contents
In order to understand Wikipedia as a resource you should first understand how to use Wikipedia in the general sense. Here is a link to a basic video tutorial on using Wikipedia. LINK
When you are using Wikipedia as a resource, be sure to use it as a general overview and not as your only resource.
Look at the Discussion tab to see if the article you’re reading is part of a WikiProject, meaning that a group of people who care about the subject area are working in concert on its content. They may not be experts on the subject, but signing onto a WikiProject implies a writer has more than a casual interest in it.
When you use a Wikipedia entry, review the References, Footnotes and Bibliography at the bottom of each entry for cited sources that may be useful in your research.
This is where “Wikipedians” cite websites and other sources they use in articles. Wikipedia articles may have a combination of references, footnotes and a bibliography, just one, or none at all.
Much of what you find on Wikipedia is factual, however you cannot guarantee all of it. By following these simple guidelines, Wikipedia can be a great resource.
Source:
Cornell Digital Literacy Resource. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu/tutorial/dpl3222.html
How to Use Wikipedia in Research. (2018, January 01). Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.easybib.com/guides/to-be-edited/use-wikipedia-research/
Positives of Using Wikipedia as a Resource
Wikipedia is an open content online encyclopedia that is created through a collaborative effort by people referred to as Wikipedians and is completely free for users. Wikipedia is a wiki with an abundant amount of information that can be used to gain knowledge, understanding, or help in research. There are some major advantages in using Wikipedia as a source.Wikipedia offers more than just an encyclopedia and these can also be used as resources:
Wikieducator
Sources Used
M. R. (n.d.). What is Wikipedia? - Definition from WhatIs.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018, from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Wikipedia
The Advantages and Disadvantages Of Using Wikipedia For Research. (2014, October 03). Retrieved March 24, 2018, from http://www.youthvillage.co.za/2014/10/advantages-disadvantages-using-wikipedia-research/
Simple English Wikipedia
Simple English Wikipedia is a version of Wikipedia that contains articles that use simple English words and grammar. Just like regular Wikipedia, anyone can contribute to the articles and it is free to use. Writers of content are asked to use basic vocabulary and shorter sentences to make things less complex. Despite these alterations, it does not mean that Simple English Wikipedia articles have to be short. They can have a lot of added detail, just in simple language.
Simple English Wikipedia is a great resource for children or learners of the English language. Elementary school teachers can guide their students towards this resource so that they can get a lot of quality information that is easily understandable and on their level. This will also help train them how to navigate regular Wikipedia in the future when they are older. Teachers of students who are learning English can use this as a resource to help their students learn English. Having them read articles from this section of Wikipedia can expose them to the English language in its most simple form, thus helping build their fluency.
Source: (n.d.) Simple English Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page.
Using External Links
The external links section of a Wikipedia page can be confusing, misleading, and misinterpreted. One misconception on the external links section is that it is considered a reference page. External links are not references or works cited of the article. There is a separate section for cited text and information, for example “references” or “notes”. Another mistake found with external links is that they should not be found in the body of the current article. External links are strictly created to provide additional information that can relate to the main topic. Below are some tips on what type of external links you should have.
What to Link
There are several things that should be considered when adding an external link.
- Is the site content accessible to the reader
- Is the site content proper in the context of the article (useful, tasteful, informative, factual, etc.)?
- Is the link functioning and likely to remain functional?
Each link should be considered on its merits, using the following guidelines. As the number of external links in an article grows longer, assessment should become stricter. When in doubt about the appropriateness of adding new links, make a suggestion on the article's talkpage and discuss with other editors.What can normally be linked?
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:External_links
Further Reading
1. Wikipedia: Basic English
2. To Use or Not to Use: Wikipedia in the Classroom
3. What is Wikipedia
4. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Wikipedia for Research
5. Teach with Wikipedia